We’d like to know a bit more about you, so we can come to your place while you’re asleep and rifle through your fridge for premium cold cuts. No, seriously, we’d be grateful if you complete the survey linked below to give us some insight into who listens to us. Although we won’t turn down prosciutto, if you have it.
Dear contestants,
It wasn’t close. Austin took the lead early and never looked back. Sure, his December guesses were crap, and that confirms that the system is rigged, but his other scores are nuts. Seriously: we had psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychotherapists all examine his work, and he’s due for some sessions. Or drugs. Or both. We’d really prefer both. But congratulations for this achievement are due: amazing work, Austin!
Because he won two consecutive terms with such a staggering performance, we are naming future Fantasy leagues after this winner: this fall, we will open the Austin from LA SCOTUS Fantasy League. And, as the eponymous player, we still encourage Austin from LA, but he will not be eligible for the crown. It’s like those “named” professors: the next winner will be something along the lines of “Nazim, the Austin from LA 2018 SCOTUS Fantasy League winner.”
There are others worth mentioning: Donkey Punch used some pretty solid data-driven strategy (he just plugged in what a website told him to plug in), and scored 215 points for January, when many of us didn’t do very well. Brett lost lost to Nazim by a huge, very big, not small margin. And some amazing players only played for one round. Cade-VA Beach, why didn’t you come back after the first round? Adam in Rochester got the top score for April, but flaked in March and May. And Blake from Florida was tied for second highest score for March, but missed three of the ballots.
Maybe it’s out fault. Maybe we’re being too defensive about our religious rights. Maybe I should just enjoy a sandwich, regardless of whether it’s cut in half or not. We’ll never know. However, thank you for playing, and thank you for listening and giving us your feedback.
It’s the end of the term, so Brett and Nazim are recording LIVE in front of a studio audience of three in Brett’s dining room. Brett and Nazim draft storylines they think will be popular this time next year, while recapping the Court’s term and talking about who is the most famous Bundy (Al, Peg, Ted, or King Kong). The Citizen’s Guide to the Supreme Court will return on October 7th, 2018.
Brett and Nazim wrap up the remaining cases of the 2017/2018 term, including Hughes v. U.S. (Whether changes in sentencing guidelines affect C pleas), Rosales-Mireles v. U.S. (Whether standard of review for sentencing mistakes should be ridiculous), Cox v. U.S.(Whether military judges should be fired over technical appointment issues), Sveen v. Melin (Whether Contracts Clause negates statute which changes beneficiaries after divorce), Currier v. Virginia (Whether Double Jeopardy bars severed trial), and Collins v. Virginia (Whether automobile exceptions takes precedence over property rights in the 4th Amendment). Whew. Law starts at (10:19).
Brett and Nazim embark on a marathon session to resolve all the cases that were discussed on the podcast this term. The first batch covers the “Jan Brady” political cases, in that MVA v. Mansky (whether Minnesota’s political apparel ban at election polls is unconstitutional), and Abbott v. Perez (whether Texas’ District Maps are a violation of the Voting Rights Act) fell by the wayside in lieu of all the other nonsense this term. Law starts at (06:50).
This week’s episode is more than just catchy Hall & Oates songs, but instead covers Carpenter v. U.S., a case that discusses how the Supreme Court believes the 4th Amendment applies to cell phone information that discloses your location. Brett and Nazim debate the evolution of the 4th Amendment and which Justice’s approach was most prudent (the answer MAY surprise you!). Law starts at (04:26).
Harken back to the good old days of four weeks ago, when the worst thing going on was Gil v. Whiteford getting dismissed on standing issues and Brett’s Netflix being mildly frustrating. Brett and Nazim (full of youthful vigor) discuss the state of gerrymandering lawsuits going forward, and add in the case of United States v. Sanchez-Gomez, which dismissed a courtroom shackles case on account of mootness. Law starts at (07:43).
This week’s episode covers the new Supreme Court Justice, “Second Best” Brett Kavanaugh, a Justice who no one knows anything about, but can’t help buy try to analyze. Then, “First Best” Brett and “The One and Only” Nazim discuss South Dakota v. Wayfair and how the Court should approach overruling precedent. Law starts at (04:38).
The podcast gets contentious this week, as Brett and Nazim agree to disagree about (1) whether a Big Mac is a club sandwich (up to 10:25), (2) religious justices on the Supreme Court (up to 23:00), and (3) National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra, the recent decision holding California’s FACT Act, which requires specific disclosures of family planning centers that dissuade abortions, unconstitutional as a violation of the First Amendment.
Yeesh! Quite a week at the Supreme Court, amiright?? This week’s episode covers Anthony Kennedy’s Retirement through the lens of Trump v. Hawaii, and Janus v. AFSCME to break down what the future may hold for a five justice conservative majority on the Supreme Court. Law starts at (08:…..no, just kidding. It starts from the beginning).
This week’s episode is all about REMANDS; including what they are, how they work, how a lower judge should consider a remanded case, etc. Brett and Nazim discuss Upper Skagit Indian Tribe v. Lungren (does sovereign immunity apply to in rem actions) and Byrd v. U.S. (do persons unnamed on a rental agreement have privacy rights in a rental car) and how those remands speak to the Court’s control over lower appellate judges. Law starts from the beginning, as you get to hear Nazim’s reaction in real time to the Court’s decision in Gil v. Whitford (which we will talk about next week).
